The Haunted Barn

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The Haunted Barn
Haunted Barn.png
Labor Call 26 November 1931
Directed byGregan McMahon
E.A. Dietrich-Derrick
Written byThomas A. Swain
Produced by F.W. Thring
Starring Thelma Scott
CinematographyE.A. Dietrich-Derrick
Arthur Higgins
Production
company
Distributed byHoyts
Release date
  • 28 November 1931 (1931-11-28)
Running time
45 mins
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

The Haunted Barn is a short 1931 Australian comedy film produced by F.W. Thring directed by Gregan McMahon. It was one of the first productions by Thring's Efftee Studios. [1] The film was produced to support of the feature Diggers (1931) and shown on the same bill. [2]

Contents

Thring's biographer later called the movie a "dog's breakfast" directed by two men "who could never have worked productively together". [3]

Plot

John Moon is a businessman interested in ghosts. He decides to spend the night in a barn hoping to see the ghost of the bushranger Sturdy who died there when betrayed to the police by his friend Rogan.

He is visited by two lovers, Ralph and Joan, seeking to elope, and worried about reprisals from Joan's father. Rose enters with a gun then leaves after demanding that no one leaves until dawn.

A man bursts in with the news that lunatics have escaped from the asylum and ten pounds per head is offered for their capture. A body appears which all are convinced is the ghost of Sturdy.

In the morning, Sturdy, Rose and Rogan confront each other. Sturdy explains he was not trying to kill Rogan but to get his permission to marry Rose, who is Sturdy's sister, and end a family feud. Rogan says he was the body, having fallen from the loft while hiding from Sturdy.

Dr Glass arrives to claim Ralph and Joan who are lunatics. Mr Moon's two friends arrive and claim they hired an actor to pretend to be a ghost for Moon.

Two tramps are left by themselves with Ralph's wallet which turns out to be stuffed with newspapers. [4] [3]

Cast

The Herald 24 November 1931 Haunted Barn Number Two.png
The Herald 24 November 1931

Production

The movie was part of Efftee's initial slate of productions. [5]

Donalda Warne (1912-??) made her cinema debut in the film. [2] Keith Desmond was a vaudeville star. [6]

Banning

The film was banned in Victoria for children between six and sixteen on the grounds that the sound of the wind in the film as well as the title of the film made the film too scary for children. [7] [8]

Thring appealed the decision and succeeded in having it overturned in November 1911. [9] [10] [11]

Release

The movie was released as a supporting feature for Diggers.

Critical

The Sun News said "There is some good acting by Phil Smith. The rest of the cast is fairly competent, but has little chance to distinguish itself." [12]

The Herald said "those who expected to receive an occult thrill and tingling of the blood from this picture were disappointed. The deepest mystery about it Is why the censor thought this mystery comedy should be banned." [13]

The Bulletin said the film "has some amusing situations, the photography is up-to-date and the acting, especially that of Phil Smith, is excellent." [14]

The trade paper Everyone's stated the film:

Cannot befaulted on the score of sound and photography. There is, in fact, a surprising quality in that respect...The picture is an interesting and humorous story... Sound and lighting effects are excellent; and convincing performances are supplied by the entire cast. None of them looks ill at ease, or appears to suffer from camera scare. [15]

Box office

The film and Diggers proved very popular at the box office. [16]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "CINEMA NOTES". The Mercury . Hobart, Tas.: National Library of Australia. 11 September 1931. p. 5. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  2. 1 2 "AUSTRALIAN TALKIES". The West Australian . Perth: National Library of Australia. 25 September 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  3. 1 2 Fitzpatrick p 155
  4. ↑ "NEW FILMS". The Sydney Morning Herald . National Library of Australia. 14 December 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  5. ↑ "Efftee Completes First Unit Program. Releases in Four Weeks. Casts Listed.", Everyones., 12 (603 (9 September 1931)), Sydney: Everyones Ltd, nla.obj-570553358, retrieved 6 March 2024– via Trove
  6. ↑ "VAUDEVILLE STAR IN TALKIES". The Cairns Post . Qld.: National Library of Australia. 6 January 1932. p. 9. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "TALKIE BANNED". The Canberra Times . National Library of Australia. 24 November 1931. p. 1. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "Censorship May Force Thring To Produce in London. To Produce in London.", Everyones., 12 (613 (25 November 1931)), Sydney: Everyones Ltd, nla.obj-562002208, retrieved 6 March 2024– via Trove
  9. ↑ "BAN LIFTED FROM FILM". The Canberra Times . National Library of Australia. 27 November 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "BAN ON FILM LIFTED". The Herald. No. 17, 013. Victoria, Australia. 26 November 1931. p. 1. Retrieved 6 March 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "Melbourne", Everyones., 12 (615 (9 December 1931)), Sydney: Everyones Ltd, nla.obj-562009419, retrieved 6 March 2024– via Trove
  12. ↑ "Haunted Barn Released". The Sun News-pictorial . No. 2873. Victoria, Australia. 30 November 1931. p. 10. Retrieved 6 March 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  13. ↑ "MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING". The Herald. No. 17, 016. Victoria, Australia. 30 November 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 6 March 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  14. ↑ "SHADOW SHOWS.", The Bulletin, 52 (2704 (9 Dec 1931)), Sydney, N.S.W: John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, nla.obj-609614084, retrieved 6 March 2024– via Trove
  15. ↑ "Reviews of Recent Release. Candid Criticisms Dependable Box-Office Estimates Best of the Week: "The Miracle Woman"", Everyones., 12 (616 (16 December 1931)), Sydney: Everyones Ltd, nla.obj-562018242, retrieved 6 March 2024– via Trove
  16. ↑ "AUSTRALIAN FILMS". The West Australian . Perth: National Library of Australia. 18 December 1931. p. 2. Retrieved 22 January 2012.

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